Stephanie Thomas: The case for early voting

Wilton Bulletin

Published
11:00 am EDT, Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Gerrymandering. Foreign interference. Purging of voter roles. Even as we grapple with these large issues that threaten the outcome of our elections, we have another problem that threatens voting behavior — our busy lives.

Everything can go wrong despite best efforts to exercise our right to vote. Both kids have the flu. Metro-North is delayed. You have to work a double shift. Your chronic knee pain is unbearable that day. Your boss makes it clear that being late for work is not an option. You are the only caregiver for your aging mother and she is having a bad day. You got called to a meeting out of town at the last minute.

Early voting is the remedy that has already been enacted in 37 states and the District of Columbia. A bill to bring this important modern-day opportunity to Connecticut did not pass due to Republican opposition in our General Assembly.

As your elected representative, I would work tirelessly to craft and shepherd through early voting legislation to provide everyone with the opportunity to vote outside of the 14-hour window on Election Day. I would work with the secretary of the state’s office to enact such legislation in a fiscally responsible manner such as limiting the number of voting days and selecting locations that minimize costs.

As a state, we need to do everything we can to ensure that all Connecticut voters have the opportunity to exercise their right to participate in our democracy. This year, please vote on Nov. 6!